Going Home?
by speedfweak
Summary: Crichton has the chance to go home. I finally got it Beta Read, too!!


TITLE: Going Home?  
AUTHOR: player  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, yadda, yadda, yadda, and all that.  
  
ARCHIVING: If you want it, ask.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A tornado kick involves a jumping spinning back kick followed by a roundhouse kick while still in the air, but the back kick isn't supposed to connect with your opponent.  
  
FEEDBACK: Absolutely, but go easy, this is my first fanfic and it hasn't been beta read.  
  
SPOILERS: S1, S2 up to OOTM  
  
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to BamaGirl for helping me, if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have been able to finish this. And thanks to 13thNight for Beta Reading.  
  
****: Indicates flashback  
  
  
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It had been more than two weekens since the incident with the Halosians, the crew finally had the chance to sit back, relax and have a good time. Everyone was getting along better than ever. At least, everyone except Rygel, who was still being ignored by the others despite the fact that he had helped in his own little way when he was in Crichton's body. Of course, he was being a pain in the ass about it, which wasn't helping his case at all.  
  
Zhaan, however, was extremely happy; her hand had been healing nicely, and she would regain full mobility. The dreams she had been having of the deaths of Crichton, Aeryn, and D'Argo had stopped after telling John about what she went through on Litigara. She had also resumed the Seek, but was progressing slowly. D'Argo had once told her that the next level would always be there, this one will not. She had taken D'Argo's words to heart and had lived by them everyday since he had said them to her. She was also happy in a "motherly" way with the fact that her "children" were finally accepting and showing their true feelings for each other.  
  
Chiana and D'Argo had been known to disappear for many arns, and show up suddenly looking tired and disheveled with stupid grins on their faces. What was strange was the fact that they did what ever they could to keep this quiet. It was strange because of Chiana's tendency to brag about having great sex with a guy. However, even with everything they did to try to hide their new relationship, the others still knew. And there was one thing about Chiana and D'Argo's relationship that worried the others. That one thing was where they did it; the others were afraid of walking in on them in the middle of their "undertaking."  
  
  
The relationship between Pilot and Moya had been getting stronger as well. With the natural bonding to Moya, Pilot no longer felt the pain, both physical and emotional, that he had to suffer from for the past three cycles. He loved Moya, and their crew, despite what they had done to him in the past, and he would willingly do anything for them. Just as long as that anything didn't involve the amputation of one of his limbs.  
  
John and Aeryn had also seemed to move further along in their budding relationship. They spent most of their time together, whether it was working in the Maintenance Bay, eating in the Central Chamber, taking a duty shift in Command, or just hanging out with each other. Whenever one would come into a room, the other would smile and glow in response. John felt that their relationship had moved up a notch, and had guessed that after she revealed that she knew she had been trying to push him away all this time, that she no longer wanted to. After the body switching, Aeryn had realized that they could get through anything together, and with that she thought of the possibilities. Their little wrestling match and chase later on was also pretty damn fun as well. They seemed to be truly happy.  
  
Of course, with their luck, the good times would be short-lived.  
  
It was late and the crew had gone their separate ways, or so they were trying to convince everyone else.   
  
Zhaan was in command relishing in the solitude that allowed her to continue the Seek. She was interrupted by Pilot who was now asking for her attention through what Crichton had nicknamed the clamshell.  
  
"Zhaan?"  
  
"ZHAAN!"  
  
"Oh, yes, Pilot. What is it?"  
  
"There appears to be a ship just inside Moya's sense horizon."  
  
"What kind of ship is it, Pilot? Is it the Peacekeepers?"  
  
"No, it is not a Peacekeeper vessel. It appears to be a transport of some kind. It also seems to be heavily damaged. If anyone is onboard, they won't be able to survive for much longer."  
  
"Call the others, Pilot."  
  
  
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After a tense discussion on whether or not to provide aid, it was decided that they would help the people on the disabled ship.  
  
"I am putting the ship on the forward portal."  
  
None of them had ever seen a ship such as the one that was being shown on the portal, none of them except John, that is.  
  
"Oh, my god." John said quietly as he watched the image on the portal.  
  
That got everyone's attention, especially Aeryn's as she saw recognition, hope, and fear in his eyes while standing at his side.  
  
"What, John, what is it? John?" Aeryn asked as she put a hand on his arm.  
  
"Huh? Did you say something, Aeryn?"  
  
"Yes. Do you know where that ship came from?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, I know where it came from," he said with a hint of hope in his voice. "It' s supposed to be from Earth. I remember that it was still under development when I left, but half of this frelling galaxy has seen my memories, so who knows who built it and who's on board." With what John had said, everyone was stunned into silence. They all remembered the incident with the Ancients and John's time in the Aurora chair. Those incidents were not something that any of them wanted to happen again, and therefore, were reluctant to bring the ship aboard.  
  
John was at war with himself. Part of him wanted this to be real, but another part, the new and improved John Crichton, believed it to be another trick. Perhaps it was another mind game from everybody's favorite half-breed with a leather fetish, Scorpious. 'I wouldn't put this past him,' thought John. 'Of course if they were human and I let them die because I was afraid of Scorpious, I would never be able to forgive myself.'  
  
"I say we bring them aboard," John said, eventually hoping that the others would understand. They did, and nodded their consent. They knew that John was an honorable man, and that he wouldn't be the cause of the deaths of people who were helpless to do anything to save themselves. If there were Peacekeepers on board that ship, then they would deal with it, but John, as did the others, had to know if that ship was from Earth.  
  
Unbeknownst to the others, Aeryn was waging her own little war. She was dreading the fact that the ship might be from Earth, and that the people on board might actually be able to go back there. If they could, would John go with them? 'So much has happened in the time that we have been aboard Moya, but would he give it all up if he could go back to his home world, his precious Earth? He once asked me to go with him, and I said no because I was afraid. I'm still afraid of what might happen if I went with him, and I would say no again. Maybe John will stay, but what if he felt some sort of obligation to me because he caused my downfall into the life of a fugitive. I can't let him stay. I won't let him stay because of me. I would rather hurt myself with losing him, than deny him his world.' Aeryn was soon brought out of her introspection with the announcement from Pilot that the docking web had been engaged.  
  
"We had better get to the Maintenance Bay and meet our guests," Aeryn announced, and then made a silent commitment to herself. 'And if they can get you home, John, I will make sure that you go with them.'  
  
  
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John, Aeryn, and D'Argo approached the Maintenance Bay cautiously with their weapons drawn. By the time they reached the Maintenance Bay, Aeryn and D'Argo had already silently deferred to John's leadership willingly because they might be dealing with people from his world. The two of them would never actually admit it publicly, but they did look to John more often than not in tense situations such as this. With his increasing understanding of this side of the universe he had proven himself to be very resourceful, and had, in a way, become their leader. The others would never actually admit that either.  
  
As they took up positions in the Maintenance Bay, Aeryn and D'Argo nodded their heads in readiness to John.  
  
"Alright Pilot, we're in position, open the doors," John said confidently, but expecting the worst.  
  
As the doors opened and John saw the shuttle, he was reminded of how much he had changed in the past cycle and a half. When he first arrived in this insane part of the universe he would have jumped at the chance to come to the aid of his fellow astronauts, without thinking of the consequences. He would have welcomed whoever was on board without hesitation and with open arms. He would never dream of raising a weapon in preparation of meeting whoever was on board.  
  
Things change of course, people change, and Commander John Crichton Jr. had changed. So here Commander John Crichton Jr. waited. Waited behind a stack of containers with his rattlers going on full blast, and his pulse gun drawn ready to rain deadly pulse fire at anything that moved.  
  
When the doors opened, Aeryn's own rattlers started to go strong. She was hoping for a Peacekeeper assault, or another Ancient simulation. She was hoping for anything other than what she knew to be the truth, the ship was from Earth. When she finally accepted this, she began to grasp at straws with the thought that maybe the crew had died. She hoped that she wouldn't have to lose John, but if it came down to his choosing between her and Earth she would make him go, no matter what.  
  
Once the doors to the transport hangar were open, the three gave each other the all-clear signal and moved in on the shuttle. They quickly noticed that a hatch on the underside of the ship had been opened.  
  
"Oh, frell. That hatch had better have been open before that was brought on board," said John. 'If there were Peacekeepers on board, I'm frelled,' he thought. 'Well, they're not going to take me alive.'  
  
"Zhaan, Chiana, stay where you are. Pilot, seal off command."  
  
"Done, Officer Sun."  
  
"Pilot! Where the hezmana are they?" yelled a very pissed off D'Argo. 'Whoever was on board that vessel snuck out and now there is a potential enemy roaming freely on my ship!' D'Argo knew that Moya wasn't his ship, but at the moment he was too pissed off at the fact that who ever they were had gotten past him to care if it was his ship or not.  
  
"My DRD's are showing movement on tier 17."  
  
"Seal off that tier Pilot!" We had better get to them before they get to us, thought John.  
  
  
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"Hey, Four Arms, what the frell is going on?"  
  
"Chiana," scolded Zhaan in the way that she does that makes you think your own mother is about to kick your ass. "Pilot, can you please tell us what is going on?"  
  
"There are intruders on board. It appears that they left their vessel before I was able to allow Commander Crichton access to the transport hangar."  
  
"Where are the others now, Pilot?"  
  
"They are currently searching tier 17 for the intruders."  
  
"May the Goddess protect them."  
  
  
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The armed trio decided it would be best to split up, in order to search the tier faster. If one found the intruders, they were to contact the other two because the numbers of the intruders was still unknown.  
  
Aeryn was searching the corridor nearest to the Maintenance Bay. She had gone back to being the bad ass Peacekeeper and pushed all of the unwanted emotions away. She told herself that this was not the time for that; or at least she tried. There was still a nagging little voice in her head telling her that she was an idiot and was being foolish for making the decision that she had.  
  
Just as she rounded the corner, not paying attention to what she was doing, she ran into something, and landed in a heap on the floor on top of that something that just happened to feel a lot like John. Opening her eyes and ready to yell at him she realized that she wasn't on top of John. In fact she was on top of someone who just happened to look a lot like a Sebacean.  
  
Both Aeryn and the man were both too stunned to move. Then when Aeryn saw movement out of the corner of her eye she reached for her pulse pistol, only to find it in the hands of a female, who was menacingly pointing it at her.  
  
"Get up," the female said with a strange accent that sounded very much like Crichton's. Aeryn wanted to kick the dren out of this woman who was currently holding her at bay with her own pistol. Most of the anger Aeryn was feeling at the moment was at herself for getting into this situation in the first place. If she hadn't been thinking about Crichton again she would have seen these two people and everything would have been taken care of. But no, she just couldn't get Crichton out of her mind, not even now. Now all she could think of was that she might not get the chance to tell Crichton how she really felt.  
  
Fortunately for Aeryn, D'Argo rounded the corner and, quickly assessing the situation, took out the female with his tongue. Aeryn then knocked out the male with an elbow to the head.  
  
D'Argo tapped his comms, "Pilot, we found two of them. Tell Zhaan to get to her apothecary, we'll meet her there."  
  
"Right away, Ka D'Argo."  
  
"John, where are you?" asked Aeryn with a hint of worry in her voice. If there were more of whomever these two were, he could be in danger.  
  
"I'm in the Shuttle. You guys can call off the search. I've found the rest of the crew," was Crichton's tired reply. With the tone of his voice D'Argo and Aeryn both knew that they were all dead  
  
  
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They were all waiting in the Apothecary when Crichton arrived. He noticed that Aeryn had put up her Peacekeeper mask again, and with that he automatically knew that something bad was about to go down.  
  
"What's up Zhaan?" asked Crichton as he approached the med tables where their new guests lay.  
  
"John, I ran the scanner over them, and their physiology matches yours. They are human."  
  
  
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Capt. Christopher McDaniel was having the shittiest week of his life. First he got sucked into this giant...blue...thing, and was spit out the other side. As soon as the "joy ride" was over, both he and Dr. Natalie Grant had realized that the shuttle cockpit had been compromised, and that they were the only survivors.  
  
After being pulled into something big, really big, the two astronauts jumped out of their shuttle. They were both stunned into silence at the enormity of the room they were in. When they finally gave themselves a good shake, they moved into an opening in a wall to hide and search whatever it was they were in. 'If there is anybody here, they'll meet us on our terms,' thought McDaniel. 'If only Grant would stop gawking at everything.'  
  
After wandering endless golden curved corridors Grant started to wonder where the hell everybody was because someone had to have brought them there. Grant was a scientist, and it was only natural for her to wonder such things even in times of crisis. She had an endless curiosity. Unfortunately for her, it was that curiosity that got her into this situation in the first place. She had dreamt of going to the stars, walking on other planets, and being the first human to make contact with an alien race. This was her chance to live out her dream, and she wasn't going to let this gung-ho Captain ruin it for her.  
  
"Grant. Listen," McDaniel said very quietly.  
  
The two lost astronauts could hear something stomping down the corridor. McDaniel pulled Grant into what appeared to be an access shaft as whatever it was, was coming down the corridor. When the stomping finally reached their location, they saw something that terrified them both. The creature was enormous, with tentacles on it's head, and a rifle that looked like it could double as a sword.  
  
'What the hell is that? I was not expecting anything like this,' thought Grant. With every passing second that she was watching the alien, first contact was starting to look more and more like a very bad idea. 'The next time I see an alien with a gun, I'm taking it,' thought Grant. 'Oh great, now I'm starting to think like him. Well, with what's going on, thinking like him isn't all that bad.'  
  
As soon as they saw the...thing...turning down another corridor, Grant and McDaniel came out of hiding only to run into something else. McDaniel found himself on the floor with someone on top of him. When he looked up, he thought that he was in Heaven because Hell couldn't look that beautiful. He knew he was staring and he didn't care, he was enjoying looking at the leather-clad woman who was on top of him too much. That's when the woman on top of him seemed to have realized something and reached upward.  
  
"Get up," he heard coming from his right. Grant had grabbed the woman's gun and was now pointing it at her, and that's when McDaniel had finally realized that the woman was human. His mind reeled at the thought that there was a human on this ship. As he and the woman stood, McDaniel looked at the face of his crewmate and saw that she was probably thinking the same things that he was.  
  
The giant alien had returned then, and used what looked [like] to McDaniel to be its tongue to knock out Grant. The woman who had fallen on top of him earlier elbowed him and knocked him to the floor. Everything happened so fast that he didn't have time to react when he saw her moving her arm. His last thought before hitting the ground was, 'I am so screwed.'  
  
  
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McDaniel's head was throbbing. That was to be expected, of course, after being elbowed. He kept his eyes closed so that he wouldn't alert any possible threat to the fact that he was now awake. He could feel that he was on a table or a bed somewhere and had confirmation that he wasn't alone when someone put what felt like a syringe to his neck. With that, he opened his eyes slightly so that he could see, and still feign the appearance of sleep. What he saw astonished him, she was bald, blue, beautiful, and was staring right at him with an amused expression on her face. 'Crap,' McDaniel thought. 'She knows I'm awake.' As he was opening his eyes, he thought, 'I might as well get up and face the music.'  
  
"Um, hi," said McDaniel since he didn't know what else to say. What else could he say?  
  
"Greetings. I am Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan, what is your name?"  
  
"I'm, um, Captain Chris McDaniel," was all he could get out of his mouth at the moment. He still couldn't believe what he was looking at. That's when it hit him that he actually understood the alien standing over him.  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, how, um, how come I can understand what your saying?"  
  
Zhaan smiled serenely at that. His reaction reminded her of her first encounter with Crichton and his confusion over the translator microbes.  
  
"I injected you with translator microbes a few microts ago. They colonize at the base of your brain and allow you to understand any language that you hear and see. I would also like to apologize for Aeryn and D'Argo's actions. At the time they did not know who you were and perceived you to be a threat."  
  
"Oh, well that's okay. I probably would have done the same. Where's Grant?"  
  
"Your companion? She is there," Zhaan said pointing to another bed nearby.  
  
"She has not awakened yet. Other than that, she is perfectly fine, and she should be waking up any microt now," replied Zhaan after seeing the worry, and the unspoken question in his eyes.  
  
"Thanks, um, Zhaan is it?" said McDaniel sheepishly.  
  
With a nod, Zhaan turned away from McDaniel to work on something on a nearby workbench. He noticed that Grant had a very large welt on her neck where the tentacled alien had hit her with his tongue. He still had a lot of questions about that one.  
  
"Oww, did someone get the license plate number of that truck," Grant said, just as McDaniel got up and came to her side.  
  
"You okay, Grant?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. Other than this hangover I got, I'm fine," Grant said taking in their surroundings, and the Blue woman who was coming towards her.  
  
"How are you feeling, my dear?" asked Zhaan as she help her sit up.  
  
"I'm fine, thank you."  
  
"Good, because there is someone who would like to talk to you, and I believe you should talk him."  
  
Grant and McDaniel weren't all that surprised by what Zhaan said. They both understood that the people on this ship probably had many questions about them. Grant had many questions as well, especially about that woman she met in the corridor. She had wondered how the hell another human got out here, and how the hell did she understand what the blue alien had said to her. Just then, the door to the room they were in opened to reveal the someone that Zhaan had spoken of. When they saw whom it was, both their faces paled. It was Commander John Crichton.  
  
"What's the matter, you two look like you've just seen a ghost." John said with an enigmatic smile on his face.  
  
  
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John and the others were in Command just sitting around waiting for the call from Zhaan that would let them know that the two humans had awakened. All they could do was wait. They had been waiting in silence, ever since word came from Pilot a few microts ago that he had picked up a wormhole a few arns away.  
  
"John, can you come down here? The humans are awake."  
  
"Yeah, Zhaan I'm on my way," John said as he stole a glace at Aeryn. She was looking down at the console she was at, and she still had her mask on. She hadn't taken it off or said two words to him since he told them that the ship might be from Earth.  
  
Of course, it didn't matter if she had her mask on or not. He knew her better than she knew herself, and he could tell that she was fighting another war, a war about him. He had to admit to himself that even he was still fighting the war that had been raging since the shuttle landed. It was the same war, just a different battle. This battle was whether or not he would leave.  
  
John hadn't really considered how he would feel about leaving this strange new family that he had come to depend on, especially Aeryn. He couldn't leave her, not now, not ever. He once told her that he'd never leave her, but he had considered that to be his apology to her for pulling a gun on her and leaving her alone on the Ancient's Earth simulation.  
  
He had a flicker of hope that she would say yes if he asked her to go with him to Earth, but it was a small and dwindling flame. He asked her once, and she had said no, but went anyway. She said that she just wanted to take a closer look at the wormhole. John knew that was a lie, and that she wanted to see if he was all right. Later on in the "safe house", she admitted to him that she had said no because she was afraid, and he knew that she was still afraid. After everything that had happened between them, he wasn't sure if she would now say yes or no. If she did refuse, then he would stay on Moya with her, but there was still hope in his heart. Hope for the future, for their future on Earth.  
  
As he walked through the door to the Apothecary his rattlers started going full blast again. What would he say to these people, what would they say to him? He had been under a microscope his entire life on Earth and everyone on Earth had known him to be a peaceful scientist. Here, on Moya, he didn't know what he was now that he had been tortured, had killed, and had been killed. With all of that, he had changed, and how their two guests and everyone back on Earth might see him worried him. He didn't want to be seen as a monster, or something to be locked up, or something to be destroyed. And he really didn't want to do this, but he didn't have a choice. When he saw their faces he came up with the perfect opening line, and put on a smile.  
  
"What's the matter, you two look like you've just seen a ghost?"  
  
John watched their reaction, and nodded to Zhaan as she left. When he turned back to the two sitting across from him he saw that they were still staring in shock.  
  
"You know, it's kind of impolite to stare," John said hoping to get some kind of different reaction, and it did. They both smiled.  
  
"Sorry," Grant said. That was all she could say as she watch the astronaut who had been deemed missing in action.  
  
"You're John Crichton. Oh my god. You're Commander John Crichton aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, I'm John Crichton," he replied with a hint of amusement in his voice.  
  
After a few awkward minutes and memory searching, Grant came to a realization.  
  
"A wormhole, you went through a wormhole just like we did, didn't you?"  
  
Oh great, McDaniel groaned internally, she's gone back into nerd mode again.  
  
"Yup, I went through a wormhole. It was one hell of a ride."  
  
For the next few arns John told them everything about Moya, the Uncharted Territories, and everything that had happened to him. With the exception of the torture he endured on the Gammak Base of course. And in this exchange of information, Grant and McDaniel, well mostly Grant, actually, told John about everything that had happened on Earth in the past one and a half years.  
  
"As much as I've been enjoying talking to you about Earth, I really should be letting you guys get some rest," said a very tired John, whose throat was starting to feel like he had swallowed a cheese grater. Talking for arns nonstop will do that.  
  
"So, where are we going to stay?" McDaniel finally asked. He had been quiet for the most part during the entire time that Crichton and Grant had been chatting.  
  
"Well, Mama Zhaan wants you to stay here for the night, that way she can check on you during the sleep cycle. So, g'night you two," and with that John left them.  
  
There was no way that John was going to be able to get any sleep so he decided to go to the Terrace. Surprise, surprise, Aeryn was there, and as long as she was there he might as well have that talk with her. As he walked in, she didn't move from her position on the floor, and just kept staring up at space.  
  
"Aeryn?" John asked, receiving no response. "Aeryn, we have to talk."  
  
  
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"You were awfully quiet during all that," stated a very amused Dr. Grant.  
  
"Yeah, I was just thinking."  
  
"You? Thinking? I hope you didn't hurt yourself."  
  
"Very funny."  
  
"So, what were you thinking about?"  
  
"Well, it's on a need-to-know basis, but seeing as how you're here and I need your help, you need to know."  
  
"Okaaay, so what is it?"  
  
"A few months ago, I was given orders that concern Commander Crichton."  
  
  
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"Aeryn, we have to talk."  
  
Those were the words that Aeryn had been dreading all day. After Crichton left command to go to the apothecary, she had come to the terrace to think. Thinking. She laughed at that. Thinking was something that she never had to do before Crichton came into her life. Now that he was in her life, she didn't want him to leave, but she had to let him go for his sake. She wanted him to be safe and happy, and those were the things that he couldn't be here on Moya in the Uncharted Territories.  
  
He sat down next to her so that their shoulders were touching. She really hated it when he did that, or whenever he touched her at all, because it usually made her brain shut down. It also made what she had to do even more difficult. She wanted to pounce right then and there, and kiss him until they were both senseless. But if she did that and one thing led to another, then she might never be able to let him go. Fortunately for her, that's when he opened his big mouth.  
  
"Aeryn, this is our chance. I promised I'd take you to Earth and I will. The real Earth this time, and I will do whatever it takes to protect you."  
  
Frell. He just had to say that didn't he? She knew he was serious and that he would do whatever it took to protect her, even if that meant killing and dying for her. She wouldn't allow that, she cared for him too much to allow that to happen.  
  
She didn't realize that she had been quiet for so long until John nudged her. She looked at him, and he was expecting an answer.  
  
"I can't come with you, you know that."  
  
"Look Aeryn, I know that you're still afraid. That's understandable, especially with what happened before, but we're not going to be dealing with the military or any other government agencies this time. We'll be dealing with IASA, and they're more open-minded when it comes to space exploration and aliens. Not only that, but I have a lot of friends there who will help us if we need it."  
  
Aeryn thought about that for a while. It would be nice if she could live on Earth with him, and without having to worry about his people hunting them, or bounty hunters, or Peacekeepers. She wondered what it would be like to live there. She saw a small part of Earth once, and she meant it when she said it was beautiful. But it couldn't happen. As much as she would like to go and to be with him, it wouldn't work out. Something would go wrong, and they would have to run. She shut her eyes to try to push back the tears she could feel coming up on her. She didn't want to tell him to leave, but it was for his own good.  
  
"No, I can't come with you. It was nice to think that I could, but it won't work."  
  
"Aeryn, please, I don't want to live anywhere without you. I can't live anywhere without you."  
  
At any other time she would have loved to hear those words, but not now. Now, all his words did was threaten to make her tears spill over. In order to stop the tears, she went back to being a heartless and emotionless Peacekeeper.  
  
"I said NO, human, now leave me alone!" said Aeryn as she got up and left him sitting on the floor. As soon as she got far enough away from the terrace, and John, she leaned against the wall of the corridor and slumped to the ground, letting the tears fall freely.  
  
'What the frell is he doing to me?' she wondered. They had been getting closer these past few monens, and he affected her in ways that no one had ever affected her before. She hated him for that, but she loved him for that, too.  
  
She had been afraid to tell him how she felt because she didn't want to get hurt again. She had told him that her past relationships had been painful and she didn't want to add John to the list of the men who had hurt her. She was certain that if they had gotten into a relationship and then found Earth, he would leave her and hurt her after she had said no to his question of going with him.  
  
Getting home had been his dream for the past cycle and a half, but when she looked into his eyes when he said that he couldn't live anywhere without her she knew he was telling her the truth. He couldn't live anywhere without her and he would never leave her. But being that close to him wasn't helping her think so she ran away to gather her thoughts.  
  
Upon reflection, the decision she had made before about making him go home for his own happiness and safety was starting to seem more and more stupid with each microt. That little voice in her head was right, and she started to listen to it. She had wanted him to be safe and happy, but she realized that he was safe and happy. By being with her, he had been happier and safer than he had ever been. She smiled at that, and was no longer crying tears of loss and pain, but of happiness and joy. She couldn't tell him how she really felt just yet, but she did have to talk to him.  
  
Wiping away the tears, she went back to the terrace to find that John had left, but she knew where he went. They were so close now that they could predict the other's actions. She went to his quarters where she knew she would find him, and she did. He was asleep on his bed, so she sat down next to it waiting for him to wake up so they would have a chance to talk.  
  
She laughed at that, internally of course, so she wouldn't wake him up. He was always the one who wanted her to talk, and now she was the one who wanted him to talk. My, how the tables have turned, she thought, using one of John's expressions. What surprised her was not the fact that she had used it, but that she actually understood what it meant. The more time that she spent with him, the more she understood him, and that made her happy, especially because she could actually understand him, finally. With those happy thoughts, she placed her head on the bed next to his and fell asleep.  
  
  
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After her little chat with her shipmate, the good Captain Chris McDaniel, Dr. Grant decided to go to the transport hangar to try to patch the hole in the cockpit to help clear her mind. When she got there, she found that the DRD's that Crichton had described had already fixed the problem with some kind of adhesive.  
  
"Now, that's what I call superglue," Grant said as she tapped it with her finger.  
  
She just still couldn't believe what McDaniel had told her, and that he actually planned on following through on those orders. 'I knew that jarheads were stupid,' Natalie thought. 'I just had no idea how stupid they really are.' With that thought, her mind replayed their entire conversation.  
  
  
****************************************  
  
  
"A few months ago I was given orders that concerns Commander Crichton."  
  
"Orders?"  
  
"Yeah. As you know, after reviewing and analyzing the mission tapes, IASA investigators determined that the Commander had opened a wormhole and had gone through it, and that only IASA personnel, the military and a few other agencies knew about this. What you don't know was that the commander for each shuttle mission since then has been given a specific set of orders. Those orders were that in the event that another wormhole was opened and that a shuttle or another craft was pulled in, that the crew of that craft was to obtain any new technology that we could find, find Commander Crichton, place him in protective custody, and come home. These orders were to be carried out. By. Any. Means. Necessary. We are in that situation now, and I intend to carry out those orders by any means necessary. Now, are you with me on this?"  
  
"Am I with you on this? How the hell can you even ask me a question like that? These people saved our lives, and all you can think of is stealing from them?"  
  
"I'm not stealing, I'm obtaining and following orders. Just like you should be doing."  
  
"Well, I'm not going to follow those orders. Unlike you, I'm a scientist, I'm not military, so I don't have to."  
  
"I'll let our superiors know that that's how you feel when we get back to Earth."  
  
"If we get back to Earth. There's still a hole in the shuttle cockpit, remember?"  
  
"Yes, I remember, and we'll take one of their ships. Like that black fighter we saw, and we will get back to Earth."  
  
"Okay, hold on just for one second. How the hell do you plan on taking one of their ships without them knowing about it, and how the hell do you plan on taking one of their ships when you don't even know how to fly it?!?!"  
  
"Good point."  
  
"Look, I'll go try to fix the shuttle, and in the meantime don't you go causing any trouble, Captain," Grant said as she got up and walked out. She knew he was staring daggers at her, but she really didn't care.  
  
  
****************************************  
  
  
So, here she sat in the shuttle, still staring at superglue, wondering how the hell she was going to get out of this situation that she found herself in. She wished she knew what McDaniel was planning, at least that way she could try to stop him from doing something that would most likely get them killed by Moya's crew.  
  
She then heard something bang up against an instrument panel behind her. Now what, she wondered. She saw something that made her laugh hysterically.  
  
"What are you laughing at human?"  
  
"I'm sorry, it's just that..." Grant tried to say, but all she could do was continue laughing at the little green thing that looked kind of like Yoda. "Oh, I'm sorry, it's just that you remind me of something I once saw," Grant chuckled. "So, I'm Natalie Grant, who are you?" She had finally gotten herself under control, but she still had a huge smile on her face. If his name sounded anything like Yoda she just might die of laughter. Then she realized something. "Hey, just what the hell are you doing in here anyway?"  
  
"I am Dominar Rygel the 16th, and you don't need to know what I'm doing in here, human. Females! Harrumph! It doesn't matter what species they are, they're all the same," Rygel muttered as he spun his throne sled around and left the shuttle.  
  
"Well, that was certainly interesting, and oh Gawd, do I feel sorry for the women of his world," said a very amused Natalie Grant, as she went back to inspecting the patched-up hole.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Since the humans came on board Chiana had spent a lot of time watching them, especially the male, McDaniel. That didn't make D'Argo too happy, but she didn't care. They were just having casual sex; they weren't in any kind of relationship, so, Chiana wondered, why was D'Argo acting the way he was?  
  
Chiana watched the Earth female leave McDaniel in the Apothecary. After a few microts, he seemed to come to a decision, and Chiana followed him as he left and wandered around the huge leviathan looking for something. This human wasn't like John or the female. This one was more like Aeryn. Chiana figured that he must have been with Earth's military. He was also very attractive, but not like John was. McDaniel was more rugged, and Chiana had hoped to have a good frell with him for certain reasons before he left. He turned down another corridor that led to a cargo bay that the crew had turned into an armory, and she followed him in. Once inside, she lost sight of him.  
  
"Why are you following me?" McDaniel said from behind a very surprised Chiana. She turned around quickly to face the human. She could run if she wanted to and if she had to, she would fight him. She had the advantage because she knew how to use the indigenous weapons and she knew where all of the access shafts were. That was only if she had to, of course, but she had something else in mind to get out of this situation.  
  
"I was just watching. The only other human I've ever met is Crichton, and I was just wondering how other human males were," Chiana said very seductively.   
  
"We're guys, that's all you need to know," McDaniel said trying to look intimidating.  
  
"Yeah, I know. And I know that men can get lonely sometimes," Chiana said as she walked up to McDaniel and let her body press against his, with her hands caressing his chest.  
  
"Sometimes, yes. So, what's your name?" McDaniel said in a very husky voice.  
  
"Chiana."  
  
"Well, Chiana, I'm Chris. It's very nice to meet you. You know, I'm thinking about staying on board for a while. And if I'm going to do that, I'm going to need someone to show me the ropes."  
  
At her confused look, he realized that she had no idea of what 'show me the ropes' meant.  
  
"What I mean is that I'm going to need someone to help me understand this part of the universe. You know, someone to help me understand how things work out here."  
  
"I think I might be able to help you. Only if you help me, of course."  
  
"Of course. So what do you need my help with?"  
  
"If I help you, I want you to help me get off this ship. I know none of the others will come with me, and I don't want them to come with me. John has Aeryn, and she's staying here so he's staying. Zhaan keeps trying to mother hen me. I don't even want to think about Rygel, and D'Argo . . . D'Argo is a great frell, but he's really starting to get on my nerves by trying to tell me what to do all the time. So, like I said, you help me and I'll help you. Deal?"  
  
"Okay, Chiana, deal. So, do you think you can show me how to use some of these weapons? Just in case we run into the Peacekeepers. You know, you watch my back, and I'll watch yours." McDaniel said with a smile while wrapping his arms around Chiana's waist, hoping that she would believe his lie.  
  
"Oh, I'll definitely watch your back," Chiana said as she planted a kiss on McDaniel's lips.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
He had sex with an alien. Sex with an alien. It sure sounds a lot like a drink, McDaniel thought hysterically. At first, McDaniel thought he was just going to learn how to use the pulse rifles and pistols on board so that when he got back to Earth he could show the weapons' scientists how to use them. But instead not only did he get a lesson in the use of Peacekeeper weaponry, but he also had the best sex of his life, and with an alien, no less. That brings a whole new meaning to the term "first contact". His mind was still reeling at the thought that he had sex with her. But if having sex with her would help him in some way, then why not. He just had to be sure that D'Argo didn't find out.  
  
Returning to the weapons, he had also wanted to learn how to use them in case he had to run from this ship's crew if they found out what his orders were, and if Crichton refused to go back to Earth or be placed in protective custody. During his talk with Crichton in the apothecary, McDaniel had heard the love and affection for Aeryn in Crichton's voice when he spoke of her, and from what Chiana told him, Crichton might not be willing to leave her.  
  
The entire time he was with Chiana, who was more than willing to talk if she thought he was actually interested in her, McDaniel smiled internally thinking that this was going to be easier than he thought. With a few carefully placed questions during the times after their numerous so-called "lessons" in the armory, he had learned all about the crew. From their alleged crimes to what their favorite meals were. He would use all of the information he had learned to his advantage so he could get the crew of this ship to cooperate with him.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"Sir, our sensors are picking up wormhole activity a few arns away."  
  
"Make the proper course corrections Lieutenant. I want to be there as soon as possible."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Where there was a wormhole, Crichton couldn't be too far away. 'I will get you soon enough, Crichton, and when I do I will have the wormhole technology that you possess,' Scorpious thought as he observed Braca's movements. 'Soon, Crichton. Soon.'  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Last night after Aeryn had left him on the Terrace, John came back to his quarters to try to get some sleep. He had slept sporadically because of what he was feeling. Figures, he thought. When he re-awoke, he went through his feelings once more to try clear his mind, and again he was surprised by what happened.  
  
He was surprised that he wasn't surprised about how he felt. What he was feeling wasn't anger, or disappointment, or sadness, or hurt. As a matter of fact, he was feeling glad that she said no, and that didn't surprise him at all. He was glad that he was going to stay with Aeryn, and the others, on Moya.  
  
Of course, he still had business on Earth that he had to finish. Such as letting everyone know that he was still alive, and that his experiment had worked. But what he really wanted was to see his Dad, sisters, and DK again. That wasn't going to happen so he had to settle with giving Chris and Natalie his recordings to take to them. But not before he made one final recording to let them know what had happened since the incident with the Gammak Base.  
  
He realized that he never made a recording to tell his dad that he survived the Kamikaze run on the base. Since that incident he hadn't felt the need to record anything to him. His recordings were a link to his family, his friends, Earth, and his past. He guessed he hadn't felt the need to record anything for the past half cycle because he wasn't thinking about his past anymore. He was thinking about his future more and more everyday. Especially his future with Aeryn, and it didn't matter if their future was on Earth or on Moya. All that mattered was that his future was with her. After thinking things through for possibly the hundredth time, he turned, and after a few microts, he finally fell asleep.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"Frell," John said as he woke up again, but there was something different about this time. There was someone holding his hand. When he opened his eyes to see what it was, he saw Aeryn. She had lain her head on her outstretched arm on his bed with his hand in hers. John felt a huge smile cross his face.  
  
He propped himself up on one elbow and started rubbing her hand with his thumb. She stirred and mumbled his name in her sleep, and despite the fact that he couldn't see her face from his position, he knew she was wearing a smile. But what he heard next was something that he wasn't expecting. It was a roar of rage from D'Argo coming from down the corridor.  
  
At the exact same moment that John heard D'Argo about to go into hyper-rage, Aeryn jumped up and drew her pulse pistol.  
  
  
"John, you had better get up and get dressed," Aeryn said sternly. Looks like she's gone back to being a Peacekeeper again, John thought. Although, he certainly didn't mind because if D'Argo was in hyper-rage they would need her as Officer Sun.  
  
"I'm going as fast as I can, Aeryn," John said as he was pulling on his pants.  
  
"Pilot, where's D'Argo now?" John asked as he finished lacing up his boots.  
  
"He is nearing your quarters now, Commander, and I would advise caution, for he has already irreparably damaged three DRD's," said Pilot in his usual calm demeanor, but both John and Aeryn could tell that he was afraid for the safety of Moya and the rest of the crew.  
  
As John was getting his pulse pistol, they both heard someone running down the corridor. From the stomping of the runner John could tell that it was McDaniel, and he wasn't surprised because he had been in the same situation when he first got here. As soon as McDaniel turned the corner, he jumped through the door to John's quarters.  
  
"You gotta help me," McDaniel said with fear coming off of him in waves.  
  
"What the frell did you do to get D'Argo to go into hyper-rage?" was Aeryn's annoyed reply.  
  
"Well," said McDaniel as he debated on whether or not to tell John and Aeryn what he and Chiana did. He decided he had to if he wanted them to trust him.  
  
"Uh, Chiana and I, uh, well, Chiana and I had sex last night. All night. And it looks like D'Argo found out."  
  
"Oh, man," John sighed loudly with an equally loud curse coming from Aeryn.  
  
"We were in the armory last night, and it just kind of happened."  
  
"Look, we don't have time for this, so c'mon," John said as he grabbed McDaniel and pushed him out the door and down the corridor opposite the direction that D'Argo's roars of rage were coming from.  
  
"Where are we going?" McDaniel asked as John and Aeryn pushed him down the corridor.  
  
"The same place that I hid from D'Argo when I first got here," John said remembering what had happened when he had to deal with the enraged Luxan.  
  
"You bagged her, too?"  
  
"No, he...Nevermind, now's not the time" John sighed.  
  
'Great,' John thought, 'the two of them just had to do it didn't they? Didn't Chiana realize that if she kept being a trollop that D'Argo would go ballistic? Well, Chi is Chi, and this was bound to happen, I just didn't think it would happen this soon.'  
  
'We're not going to be able to hide from D'Argo this time,' thought John, as he heard another roar from D'Argo closing in on them. 'We're going to have to sedate D'Argo somehow.'  
  
"Aeryn, we're not going to make it. You take McDaniel and keep try D'Argo from making him a shish kabob. I'm going to talk to Zhaan about a sedative for him."  
  
"GO! I'll try to keep him alive, but I won't make any promises," Aeryn said as they continued down the corridor.  
  
"I'll comm you when I have the sedative, and tell you where to meet me," John said as he turned down another corridor hoping that they could get to D'Argo before anyone got hurt.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
'She betrayed me,' an enraged D'Argo thought as he chased the new human down the corridor. He could smell that John and Aeryn had joined McDaniel, and he assumed that they knew what Chiana and the human had done. The fact that two of his closest friends had known about this, and didn't tell him had hurt and drew him deeper into hyper-rage.  
  
Turning a corner, D'Argo could smell that Crichton was no longer with the other human and Aeryn. He would deal with Crichton later; after he had dealt with McDaniel and the Peacekeeper. The enraged Luxan followed the human and the Peacekeeper for about a quarter of an arn when their scent indicated that they had turned down a corridor that led to one of the unused maintenance bays.  
  
'Your training is failing you Peacekeeper,' D'Argo thought as he came into the maintenance bay searching for his shipmate and the person who had taken Chiana from him. He felt that Aeryn had made a tactical error bringing the human here, but he could also smell that someone else was in the maintenance bay. It was Crichton. D'Argo told himself, using one of Crichton's sayings, to keep his eyes and ears open because he realized that his shipmates were planning something.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
After John had left Aeryn and McDaniel in the corridor running from D'Argo, he contacted Zhaan over the comms and told her to meet him at the Apothecary. Once there, he had Zhaan make a potion to knock out D'Argo. John didn't want to have to do this to his best friend, but D'Argo wasn't giving him very much of a choice.  
  
He left Zhaan standing worriedly in her Apothecary, and commed Aeryn to tell her to meet him in Maintenance Bay 5. A few microts later after John had made it to the Maintenance Bay, Aeryn and McDaniel ran in, and made their way to John.  
  
"D'Argo's right behind us," Aeryn said trying to catch her breath. "Give me the dispenser John, I'll have a better chance of sedating him than you will."  
  
"No, Aeryn, I think you better let me do this," John said not wanting to put Aeryn in any more danger than she was already in.  
  
"John we don't have time to argue, and give me the dispenser," she said pulling the dispenser out of John's hand. "Now hide," Aeryn said before she ran to stand in the shadows next to the door that D'Argo would be coming through while John and McDaniel took up positions behind a workbench on the other end of the Maintenance Bay. This had to work because if it didn't...John couldn't finish the thought as he watched D'Argo tentatively enter the room and slowly walk around the bay.  
  
"Are you sure about this, John?" Aeryn asked quietly over the comms, still not too sure about his plan. Even he wasn't too sure that she would be able to get close enough to take out D'Argo. But he wasn't about to tell Aeryn that.  
  
"Look Aeryn, I know you and you should have no problem getting up behind D'Argo to sedate him," John said into his comms from the other side of the Maintenance Bay trying to convince Aeryn to go along with his plan.  
  
"I'll try," Aeryn said. John could just picture the frustrated look on her face as she said that. John was frustrated too. He was frustrated by the fact that Chiana and McDaniel had put the rest of the crew in this position, but Chi was Chi and they couldn't do anything to change that. He also guessed that McDaniel hadn't had any in a long time, and that he was the type of person who wouldn't pass up the chance at a good frell with no strings attached.  
  
John saw that Aeryn had started to move from her position to get to D'Argo, and luckily, due to Moya's ventilation system, he wouldn't be able to smell her exact location, he would only be able to tell that she was in the room.   
  
Just as Aeryn started for D'Argo, McDaniel got up from his position behind the workbench. "Hey! Looking for me?" McDaniel yelled trying to distract D'Argo so he wouldn't notice Aeryn sneaking up behind him ready to sedate him. Just as Aeryn had moved close enough to D'Argo to inject him with Zhaan's potion, he dropped his qualta blade and lunged at McDaniel.  
  
In the ensuing fall, McDaniel hit his head hard on the floor, and John heard McDaniel's skull crack as he ran towards D'Argo to try to pull him off. As John reached D'Argo, who was trying to choke McDaniel, Aeryn was injecting the Luxan with the sedative. When she depressed the plunger, D'Argo shot up and tried to knock her over, but instead wobbled and fell on top of Aeryn, who dropped the dispenser as she hit the ground.  
  
"Frell! John get him off me!" came Aeryn's muffled plea from underneath the massive Luxan.  
  
"Don't worry darlin'. I'm comin'," John said with amusement in his voice. When Aeryn heard this she tried to glare at him, but all she could do was shake her head and smile back. Or, at least, shake her head at him the best she could from underneath D'Argo.  
  
With a little help from a wounded McDaniel, John managed to get D'Argo off Aeryn and the three of them dragged him to a nearby unused cell.  
  
"You should go see Zhaan so she can take a look at your head," John said while panting, and wondering why everyone on this side of the universe was heavier than they looked.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so, I'll see you two later." McDaniel said before leaving the maintenance bay and headed to the apothecary.  
  
"So, Aeryn, what were you doing in my quarters last night?" John asked, getting a silent, and uncomfortable, look from Aeryn. 'That was just the response I wanted,' John thought with a grin on his face.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
McDaniel found Zhaan in her apothecary working diligently on a concoction. When he walked in, she looked up at him with a question in her eyes.  
  
"He's alright. We put him in one of the cells on that tier, but I wasn't so lucky. When I fell and hit my head, I think I cracked my skull," McDaniel said anticipating her questions.  
  
"Please lie down, and I'll scan you," Zhaan said assuming that "cracked my skull" meant that he fractured it and she put away what she was working on and brought out the scanner. Being around John for more than a cycle allowed her to get the gist of most his Earth sayings.  
  
"So, did the Commander tell you what happened?" McDaniel asked hesitantly as he was lying on the table to let Zhaan pass the scanner over his body.  
  
"Yes, he did, but that is your business," Zhaan said sadly as set the scanner down and reviewed the data knowing that now at least two members of her family were on the verge of leaving.  
  
With the discovery of the wormhole, she assumed John would be leaving for Earth in a few arns. In their time on Moya, John had become her friend, and confidant with his knowledge of her crime. He had also become her conscience when he brought her out of madness on the New Moon of Delvia. Thankfully, their relationship hadn't changed too much after that because they were still friends, and she loved him as a friend.   
  
He still relied on her at times as he did when he first arrived, but those times were becoming fewer and fewer as his understanding of her side of the universe increased. She missed being able to help him in that manner, but she was also thankful because without his increasing understanding, the crew would have been killed long ago. Without John, would the crew be able to survive? She didn't want to think about that so her thoughts shifted to the other member of the crew who would be leaving.  
  
That crewmember would either be Chiana or D'Argo. There was less likelihood that D'Argo was leaving since staying onboard Moya was the best chance that he had of finding his son. So, Chiana would be the one who was leaving. But where would she go? She had begun a new relationship with the Human Captain, and she viewed John, in a way, as her foster brother, so she might follow them to Earth in spite of their encounter with the Ancient's simulated Earth.  
  
Zhaan was surprised by the fact that she would miss Chiana as well. When they had first met she considered Chiana a "brat," but over time she developed a fondness for the Nebari thief. She viewed Chiana as a very immature teenaged daughter now, and she would miss her very much. Zhaan put aside her introspection until later, as McDaniel needed her attention now.  
  
"The only injury you have is a small skull fracture. I should have no problem in repairing the damage," Zhaan said as she returned to her workbench to make a concoction that would heal McDaniel's wound. After a few microts of mixing selected herbs and liquids in a beaker, Zhaan's potion was ready.  
  
"This may sting a bit," Zhaan said calmly, trying to reassure McDaniel like any mother would as she began to apply the gel-like substance to his head.  
  
"Thanks Zhaan," McDaniel said with a flinch as Zhaan applied the last of the ointment to his head.  
  
"You're welcome. Chris, when you go back to Earth, please, take care of John. He has changed greatly in his time with us, and some on your world may not readily accept him as he is now."  
  
"Don't worry, I will." McDaniel said before he turned away heading towards the door as Zhaan turned back to her workbench. Just as she reached it and began to continue her work, she felt something cold touch her neck along with a burning sensation that told her she had been injected with a sedative. Before she had the chance to turn around and look at her assailant, she passed out.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"I could make a fortune with this stuff, if I could only keep it. Well, at least the doctors back home will love it," McDaniel thought out loud as he looked down at Zhaan's prone form.  
  
He shook the dispenser that Aeryn had dropped in the maintenance bay, and he could hear by the sloshing that there was plenty of the sedative left inside. 'I hope this is enough to take the rest of them out,' McDaniel though as he stuffed the dispenser back into his pants.  
  
He went over to Zhaan and took her comms off of her wrist and turned it off the exact way Chiana had shown him. He placed it on the workbench that they were in front of and then carried Zhaan out of her apothecary. He took her to one of the lower tiers and placed her in an unused cell. He then locked the doors the same way he had seen Aeryn do to the cell door that D'Argo was behind. Chiana had told him that the crew rarely came down to the lower tiers, so he wasn't worried about anyone finding her before he was finished with his mission.  
  
"Thank God for my photographic memory," McDaniel said absently as he walked away from the cell.  
  
With D'Argo and Zhaan out of the way the only person he had to worry about now was Aeryn. As he proceeded to the transport hangar he began to think of ways to subdue the former Peacekeeper.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
McDaniel walked into the transport hangar hoping to find Grant still on board the shuttle trying to patch the hole. He glanced around to see if there was anything he could take that would not be missed. He saw some small items in the maintenance bay that he could grab without anyone caring, but he couldn't spare the time on that at the moment. At this moment, he needed to know if Grant was on his side, if push came to shove.  
  
As he climbed into the cargo bay of the shuttle, he could hear Grant in the cockpit performing a systems check. Perfect, he thought, as he made his way up the ladder to the cockpit, after he had made a quick stop at an equipment locker.  
  
"Hey," McDaniel said nonchalantly with his hands behind his back as he climbed into the cockpit and walked over to stand a few feet away from Grant.  
  
"Hey," Grant said back as she continued the systems check on the shuttle's components.  
  
"So, how are the repairs coming?"  
  
"The DRD's took care of the hole with some kind of epoxy. I guess Commander Crichton asked Pilot to help fix it. Right now I'm checking to see if this ship's systems are space-worthy."  
  
"Look, Grant, there's something I need to know."  
  
"What?" Grant asked, not looking up from the instrument panel she was working at.  
  
"Are you with me, or them?" McDaniel asked sternly.  
  
"What the hell kind of question is that?" Grant asked, still focused on the task at hand.  
  
"It's a simple 'yes or no' question. Now, are you with me or them?"  
  
Grant turned her head to look at him, and had a look on her face that said 'you're nuts'.  
  
"Well?" he asked, getting impatient.  
  
"Okay," said Grant as she turned to him and looked him straight in the eye. "I'm not with them, but I'm not with you either. I just want to go home, and we'll be going home in a few hours when Moya gets to the wormhole. Now, I told you once, and I'll tell you again, I'm a scientist, I'm not military, so I'm not going to follow your orders," Grant said just as sternly as McDaniel had earlier.  
  
"Okay, I was expecting that answer from you," said McDaniel as he walked up to her.  
  
"Please, Grant don't take this personally," he said quietly just before he grabbed both of her arms.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" yelled Grant, as she tried to struggle against McDaniel. Her efforts were futile since McDaniel weighed about seventy pounds more than she did.  
  
"Grant, I'm sorry about this, I know that you're not on their side but I have to make sure that you can't interfere with my mission in any way," McDaniel said as he tied Grant's hands behind her back with a piece of cable he had taken from the equipment locker before he came into the cockpit. He then tied her to one of the command chairs in the back of the cockpit so no one in the transport hangar would see her through the forward view ports.  
  
"McDaniel! You get back here, you son of bitch!" yelled Grant to McDaniel's retreating back as she struggled against the cords binding her.  
  
McDaniel paid no attention to her yelling as he walked out of the cockpit and sealed it so that only he could access it. As he climbed out of the shuttle he could have sworn that he heard what sounded like an engine inside the cargo bay of the shuttle, but the sound was too soft and too quiet to be an engine. So he climbed back inside to find out what it was. He took a look around the cargo bay from the open hatch, and saw that there was nothing there. He also saw that there was nothing in there for anyone to hide behind so he brushed the sound off as his imagination. When he left the shuttle once again he saw Chiana coming out of one of the maintenance bays and walking towards him. He put on a grin that had been known to make women drop trying to convince her that he was happy to see her.  
  
"Hey, Chris!" yelled Chiana as she walked up to McDaniel and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
"Hey Chiana, what's up?"  
  
"I just wanted to know when we're getting out of here," Chiana said as she pressed her body against his.  
  
"Well, I just talked with Pilot, and he said that we can take a transport pod and leave anytime we want, so why not now?" McDaniel said with that grin still on his face.  
  
"Now? All right then, let's get the frell outta here. Just give me a few microts so I can get some things from my quarters." Chiana said as she ran from the transport hangar.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
As Chiana walked out of her quarters with her duffel bag slung over her shoulders to go back to the transport hangar she thought of the past few arns, and why she was doing this. Why she did what she did, and why she was leaving Moya.  
  
  
****************************************  
  
  
She had been having a bad feeling for a while now, and with Chi being Chi, she had to get off the ship. The last time she felt this way was over two weekens ago while she was in D'Argo's body. She didn't care if she was in D'Argo's body or not, she just had to get off the ship.  
  
When the humans came on board she felt as though she had been given the perfect opportunity to leave. All she had to do was convince them to take her away from Moya to somewhere else, anywhere else but here. She didn't think that she could convince the female because she was a female, but she knew she could convince Chris because he seemed, to her, to be the type of male who thought with his mivocks. So she decided to try to convince him to get her off of the ship by seducing him. It had worked, and she frelled him during the entire sleep cycle so that she could be sure that he would get her off of Moya.  
  
She had both enjoyed the experience and hated it at the same time. In her heart she knew she was betraying D'Argo, but she kept telling herself that they were only having casual sex. She kept telling herself that they didn't have a relationship and that she didn't care about him. However, the more she kept telling herself this, the more pain she felt in her heart, but she just had to get off the ship any way that she could. Frelling Chris was the only way she could think of to get away, so she had sex with him.  
  
  
****************************************  
  
  
When she got to the Transport Hangar, she saw that the hatch to the pod was open, and Chris was nowhere to be seen so she assumed that he was already inside the pod waiting for her. She climbed up the ladder and when she went inside she saw that the pilot and co-pilot's consoles had been smashed and were now totally useless.  
  
What she didn't see was Chris putting a dispenser filled with sedative against her neck, and then injecting her with it. As she fell to the floor, she looked up at Chris, and saw him grinning at her before she passed out.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
As Chiana fell to the ground, McDaniel was still thinking of ways to subdue Aeryn. He wasn't worried about the others because he didn't think they were capable enough of stopping him. He hadn't intended to take Chiana out of the picture, but he believed that when you're given an opportunity you take it. He knew he would be able to convince Chiana that Pilot had told him that they could leave whenever they wanted to because she was so distracted thinking of getting off of Moya that she would have believed him if he had told her that he had a trout living in his pants.   
  
As McDaniel bent over to remove Chiana's comms, he noticed something sticking out of her bag. When he reached for it he realized that it was a pulse pistol. He placed it back on the ground and then dumped the rest of the bag's contents onto the floor. There was clothing, a few pieces of jewelry, gems, stones, and another pulse pistol. These could definitely come in handy, McDaniel thought as he placed the pistols in the waistband of his pants behind his back.  
  
As he put the pistols behind his back he thought of a movie he once saw, Face/Off, with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage. McDaniel thought of Cage's character, Castor Troy, and remembered that he wore his gold .45's in holsters behind his back the same way he was now. McDaniel laughed at that thought as he removed Chiana's comms and put it in his pants pocket. He then exited the large craft with her duffel in hand and went into one of the maintenance bays to try to find something that would jam the pod's hatch so Chiana couldn't get out.  
  
He couldn't risk dragging her out of there because the maintenance bays were the only way out of the transport hangars and they were very popular destinations on the ship. Anyone could be in any one of them, so leaving Chiana in the pod he had disabled after she had left to gather her things was his best option.  
  
"We are now approaching the wormhole," Pilot announced through the comms. McDaniel quickened his pace.  
  
He found a wrench that could hold the hatch shut and he also had to find some things to take back home with him as his orders had stated. He grabbed an item here and an item there, stuffed them into the duffel bag, and then went back to the pod to secure the hatch. As he climbed down the ladder he noticed a few DRD's in the maintenance bay that he had been in. He thought that Pilot might have seen him through the DRD's, so, he had to take Pilot out next. Of course, if he took out Pilot then he would have to figure out how to get the outer doors open on his own. So, bad idea, he thought, better come up with Plan B.  
  
As McDaniel made his way to Pilot's Den, he checked the charges on the pistols he had. They were both fully charged and he was going to need them with what he had planned. When McDaniel entered the chamber, he walked right up to Pilot who looked a little surprised to see him.  
  
"Captain McDaniel, I did not think that I would get the chance to meet you," said Pilot as he watched the human.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't come to see you until now, right before I have to leave. It's just that, well, with what's happened, 'ya know," said McDaniel as he tried to find the right words to complete the sentence.  
  
"I understand. Is there anything that I can help you with?"  
  
"Yeah, there is one thing that you could help me with," McDaniel said cryptically. He surprised Pilot even further when he leapt over his console to stand on Pilot's right side. McDaniel pulled out a pulse pistol and pointed it at Pilot's large head.  
  
"I need you to make it so that I can open the outer doors by activating this comms," said McDaniel as he took out Chiana's and put it in front of Pilot.  
  
"Why should I?" asked a very frightened Pilot, at the same time trying to calm Moya.  
  
"Just do it, Pilot, or I'll blow your head off."  
  
"If you kill me, I won't be able to perform the task you ask me to do," said Pilot, hoping that the human would put down the pistol.  
  
"You're right, you won't be able to do it, which means that I would have to do it myself. And if I did it myself, I just might damage Moya involuntarily. We don't want that now do we?"  
  
With that statement Pilot acquiesced, and did as McDaniel demanded. He didn't do it out of fear for his own safety, but for the safety of Moya and her crew.  
  
"I have done as you asked. What are you going to do now?" Pilot asked apprehensively.  
  
"Well, there is only one thing I can do. Just know that I am sorry for this, but I have my orders," McDaniel said as he picked up the comms, and put it back in his pocket. He then produced the dispenser he had been carrying and placed it at the joint where Pilot's right front arm met his body.  
  
"I am sorry about this," said McDaniel as he depressed the plunger and watched as Pilot succumbed to the sedative.  
  
When McDaniel had walked into the large chamber he realized that there was no way that he could inject Pilot with the sedative because of his thick skin. When he had jumped over the console, and stood next to Pilot he noticed that the skin around the joints where Pilot's arms met his body were very flexible. McDaniel assumed that since the skin was as flexible as it was, it had to be fairly thin, and it just might be thin enough so that the sedative would penetrate his body.  
  
McDaniel was just about to put the dispenser back into his pants when he noticed that it was now empty.  
  
"Shit," he said as he put it back into his pants even though he couldn't use it anymore. Since it worked a lot better than the syringes back home, he might as well take it with him so that it could be replicated and put to use on Earth.  
  
"Pilot?" yelled Aeryn. McDaniel jumped and pulled both pistols looking for a target.  
  
"Hey, Pilot, where the hell are you?" John asked through the comms. Only after McDaniel had heard Crichton did he realize that they were speaking through the comms. He jumped back over Pilot's console and headed towards the door, but he stopped in his tracks at the next words he heard.  
  
"Hey, Pilot, I hope you realize that there's a Peacekeeper patrol headed our way!" John yelled.  
  
"Peacekeeper patrol?" McDaniel asked quietly as he stood on the catwalk that led to the door and then he said the only two words that he could say.  
  
"Aw, shit."  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"So, Aeryn, what were you doing in my quarters last night?"  
  
Aeryn knew he would ask that, and she had an answer for him. She wanted to talk, and that's what Aeryn was about to tell him. That's when she realized that she didn't know what she was going to say after that. The stupid grin on John's face wasn't exactly helping her think, so all she could do was stand there and look at him for what seemed like arns. It was actually only a few microts when she finally decided to just do what John usually did. She was just going to improvise as she went along and see what would happen.  
  
"I wanted to talk. About us." Aeryn said confidently as she watched John's expression turn serious.  
  
"Yeah, that's something we need to do. Look, I'm starting to get a little hungry, so do you think we could talk over some breakfast?"  
  
"Sure," Aeryn said as she turned and began to walk towards the Center Chamber with John at her side.  
  
After they had reached the Center Chamber, they sat next to each other, and ate in companionable silence for a while, not knowing how to start the conversation they both knew they needed to have.  
  
"Aeryn, I..."  
  
"John, I..."They both started talking at the same time after over a quarter of an arn of chewing being the only sound in the room.  
  
"Ladies first," said John, being the Southern gentleman that he was.  
  
Aeryn cocked an eyebrow at that. She had heard him use it once before, but she had always assumed that he said it because she was the one with a weapon. She wondered if it was a human custom to allow the female of the species to go first in certain situations. She had to ask him about that along with many other things, but now wasn't the time.  
  
"John, what do you want?" asked Aeryn as she looked deeply into his eyes, taking the direct approach. She never was one for subtlety.  
  
Aeryn watched the play of emotions on his face and began to wonder if asking that was a good idea or not. She could tell that he was debating whether or not to tell her and that he was afraid of what she might do if he did. After a few microts, she saw that he had come to a decision.  
  
"I want you, Aeryn. Aeryn, I told you the truth when I said that I don't want to live anywhere without you and I'm telling you the truth now when I say that I don't care about Earth. Not anymore. Now, the only thing I care about is you," John said as he looked into Aeryn's eyes and reached out to caress her cheek.  
  
John wanted to tell her that he loved her, but he wasn't sure how she would take it. He had been in love with her for some time now and all it had taken for him to realize it was a near-death experience while in orbit of a burning moon. He had been in love before with Alex, but what he had felt for Alex was nothing compared to how he felt about Aeryn. John just hoped that his "relationship" with Aeryn wouldn't end in the same way as his previous one. He didn't know what he would do if Aeryn rejected him after he gave her his heart. That was the one thing that worried him, and that was why he was holding back.  
  
He watched her eyes praying that she wouldn't run, and after the longest ten microts of his life he got an answer. It was an answer he wasn't expecting because she had said that she wanted to talk, but then again she was a Peacekeeper. She was ex-military, and usually to people such as she, actions spoke louder than words.  
  
She reached over to caress his cheek as she leaned closer to him, closed her eyes, and gently brushed his lips with her own. She then backed off so she could look into his eyes once more and saw an open invitation. As their lips met again, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Aeryn's lips on his. When she broke the kiss, their eyes met once more, and the thought that Aeryn might bolt entered his mind. As usual, this fear showed in his eyes, and he saw a similar fear in her eyes. That's when she asked him something he wasn't expecting her to ask because of what he revealed to her on the Terrace, but what she asked of him still didn't surprise him.  
  
"John, promise me something. Promise me that you will never leave me," Aeryn said so quietly that only John would be able to hear her. She knew that he would never leave her, but she had to hear him say it. She wouldn't be able to handle his rejection or betrayal after opening up to him. After giving him her heart.  
  
The last person whom she had given her heart to was Velorek, and in the end she had betrayed him for Prowler duty. She didn't think she would ever be able to love again after that, but the moment when a brain deficient primitive Human came into her life she felt herself start to open up again. It all started with the same words that Velorek had said to her as he was being dragged away to face his punishment for his so-called crimes.  
  
When John told her that she could be more she felt that she might be getting a second chance. It wasn't every day that one was given a second chance, and she had to take it even though it meant that she would no longer be a Peacekeeper. She now felt that there was more than being a Peacekeeper, and that she could and would be more, just as Velorek had prophesied. Over the past one and a half cycles, John and Velorek's prophecy came true in a way, but at the moment when John told her that the only thing he cared about was her, she realized that the only way she could ever be more, was through her love for him. So, she had to ask him to promise her that he would never leave her now that he had her heart. She had to ask him to promise her because if he left her she would never be more than what she once was.  
  
"I promise, Aeryn," was John's quiet reply as he took both of her hands in his. "I will never leave you, Aeryn. Never."  
  
"Thank you," she said as a single tear rolled down her cheek, and she leaned forward to kiss him deeply once more.  
  
"We are now approaching the wormhole," Pilot announced over the comms just as John and Aeryn broke their very long kiss.  
  
With Pilot's announcement Aeryn suddenly felt a wave of fear engulf her, and she looked into his eyes. She was afraid that John was going to leave her despite his promise. Her fear was unjustified and she knew it, but she couldn't help feeling what she was feeling. She tried to push that fear away using her Peacekeeper training, but the fear wouldn't go away. At first, she thought that her training was failing her, but that small voice in her head was talking to her again, so she listened to it since it was right the first time.  
  
That small voice told her that her training wasn't failing her. It told her that the reason she couldn't push those unwanted emotions away was because she hadn't been trained to, and that she didn't want to. That voice told her that John had brought out all of the emotions she was feeling, and that she just couldn't shut out one emotion because she hadn't been trained for that. What she had been trained to do was shut out all of her emotions, and if she shut out all of her emotions then she would be shutting out John.  
  
As she looked into John's eyes, she saw that he recognized her fear, and through those same eyes he reassured her that he would keep his promise. That reassurance calmed her fears somewhat, but they were still there.  
  
"C'mon, we'd better get to Command," John said as he got up from his seat and offered her his hand. She accepted it, and entwined her fingers with his as they walked out of the Center Chamber.  
  
When they walked side-by-side into Command, they expected to see the others along with Pilot's image in the Clamshell waiting for them, but no one was there. Glancing at each other, they separated to go to their own command consoles knowing that trouble was coming; and trouble came. John's console alerted him to the fact that a Peacekeeper Marauder was on an intercept course.  
  
"Hey, D'Argo?" John asked into the comms that was built into the console, but received no answer. "Zhaan? Pip? Pilot? Sparky? Where the hell are you guys? We got problems here," John yelled into the comms, and still received no answer.  
  
"Pilot?" yelled Aeryn with a worried look on her face.   
  
"Hey, Pilot, where the hell are you?! Just what the frell is going on? Where is everybody?" John asked as he was starting to get really worried. Usually when John told the others they had problems, they would come running, but it was still just he and Aeryn standing in the Command.  
  
"Hey, Pilot, I hope you realize that there's a Peacekeeper patrol headed our way!" John yelled.  
  
"What the frell is going on?" Aeryn yelled to no one in particular as she slammed her fist into the console.  
  
"Take it easy, Aeryn, just calm down so we can think this thing through. Look, why don't you go down to Pilot's Den and see what the hell is going on," John said as he walked up to Aeryn and lay a hand on her arm.  
  
"I don't think so," said McDaniel from behind them with a pulse pistol in each hand ready to shoot.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
When McDaniel spoke the words, "I don't think so", John and Aeryn spun around to find that he had two pulse pistols trained on them, and on instinct they went for their own pistols only to be stopped by a warning shot.  
  
"Ah ah ah ah ah. Like I said, I don't think so. Now put your guns on the ground, and kick 'em over to me," McDaniel ordered. John and Aeryn complied and watched as he placed the pistol in his right hand in his belt behind his back, then picked up one of the pistols on the floor. He then placed the pistol in his left hand in his belt behind his back and picked up the other pistol on the ground. "Now step back and put your hands in the air," said McDaniel so calmly and without emotion as he stood up, that one would think that he was a Peacekeeper.  
  
"Chris, what the frell do you think you're doing?" John replied, doing as McDaniel instructed. Aeryn followed John's lead, not understanding what the Human Captain was telling her to do.  
  
"I am sorry about all of this, Commander, but I'm just following my orders."  
  
"Orders? What orders? What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"The scientists back home determined that you went through a wormhole and that there was a possibility that you survived. In the event that another wormhole was opened, and another craft went through, the crew of that craft was ordered to obtain any new technology that they could find, find you, Commander, place you in protective custody, and come home. These orders were to be carried out by any means necessary."  
  
"What?" was John's shocked reply after Aeryn and he glanced at each other.  
  
"You heard me. Now can you tell if that's Earth on the other side of that wormhole?"  
  
"What did you do with the others?" John asked accusingly, not caring whether or not it was Earth.  
  
"I took them out of the picture."  
  
"What do you mean, 'you took them out of the picture'?" Aeryn yelled, not understanding the human phrase and hoping that her family hadn't been harmed in any way.  
  
"I gave them all a sedative; and with the exception of Pilot, I locked them in separate cells so don't worry about them."   
  
"What about Grant? Is she with you on this," John asked as he stared daggers at McDaniel.  
  
"No, she's not, she's tied to a chair in the shuttle," he said impatiently. He looked out the forward portal and saw that the planet on the other side was Earth. He was glad that it was and that he was going home, but there was still the situation at hand. "Look, you said that there was a Peacekeeper patrol headed our way, so we should be going," he said, gesturing back to the door with his head while keeping the pulse pistols on John and Aeryn. "Now move, both of you."  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"Sir, one of our Marauder patrols has reported seeing a Leviathan near the wormhole," Lt. Braca reported as he approached Scorpious.  
  
"Thank you, Lieutenant. Have the Commandos board the Leviathan and take Crichton alive. I care for no other prisoners. Increase our speed, Lieutenant. I want to be there when Crichton is captured," the half-breed said as he sat down on his throne.  
  
"Yes sir," Braca replied before he walked back to one of the consoles in the room.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
As John and Aeryn walked down a corridor towards the Transport Hanger with McDaniel on their heels, they looked at each other once more. John saw that she had gone back into her kick-ass Peacekeeper mode again, but he still saw fear in her eyes. That fear, of course, wasn't for her safety, but for his, along with the others, now that there was a Marauder coming at them. She was also afraid of losing him, which was perfectly understandable with what had happened earlier. He also saw something else in her eyes that he couldn't figure out, and that's when she asked something that surprised him.  
  
"Can you take me with you?" she said as she stopped in the corridor and turned to McDaniel.  
  
"What?" yelled John and McDaniel, looking at her like she had just gone psycho.  
  
"Aeryn, what the hell are you saying?" John asked as he grabbed her arm.  
  
"I'm not going to leave you, John, and I am not going to stay here now that that Marauder is on its way."  
  
"Aeryn, what the hell is wrong with you? Don't you remember what happened in that simulation? What this piece of dren is doing right now should make you realize that the Ancients, I mean I, was right."  
  
"I do realize that, John, but you should realize that I will never leave you, just as you promised that you would never leave me," she said before she turned to McDaniel. "And you, Captain, should realize that you should always watch your back."  
  
With that, McDaniel turned around and saw Grant standing there with a pipe in her hand.  
  
"Surprise!" Grant said as she swung the pipe and hit McDaniel in the face. When he hit the ground with a satisfying thud, and with the pistols he had in his hands thrown off to the side, Grant looked back up. She saw a very surprised look on Crichton's face, and a triumphant smile on Aeryn's.  
  
"Okay, did I miss something here? I thought you were tied up in the shuttle," John asked with confusion radiating from him.  
  
"Rygel found me. I caught him snooping around earlier, and I told him to get lost but he didn't. He saw what McDaniel did and untied me, then went looking for the others."  
  
"Sparky?" John laughingly asked. "Next time I see him, I'm gonna give him a huge kiss."  
  
Grant couldn't help but laugh at that, but she got a very bad mental image that forced her to stop and continue telling the couple what had happened. "I figured the two of you would be in Command, so I was on my way there when I ran into the three of you." She then turned to Aeryn and extended her hand. "And thanks for distracting him for me. I was sure that he would have heard me if you hadn't said what you did, and I'm sorry about pointing your gun at you when we first met. I didn't know what was going on."  
  
Aeryn looked at Grant's extended hand, remembering John's handshake. "Apology accepted," she said, shaking Grant's hand just before McDaniel pulled Grant's legs out from under her. Grant grabbed one of the pulse pistols that he had been using before and shot at Aeryn.  
  
John had seen that McDaniel was aiming at Aeryn, but couldn't get to her in time to keep her from getting hit. Fortunately, McDaniel was still a somewhat hazy, so his aim was a little off and he ended up shooting her in her right leg. Grant was at Aeryn's side as soon as she hit the ground and used her belt as a tourniquet for Aeryn's leg while John went after Grant's former crewmate.  
  
Before McDaniel had the chance to get another shot off, John charged him, causing McDaniel to drop the pistol once more. They both fell to the floor with McDaniel using his right leg to push John up and flip him over onto his back. McDaniel was the first to recover and had positioned himself with his right side to John. He was about to go for a pulse pistol that was a few feet to his left, but before he could grab it, John raised his right leg, using a move that Aeryn had taught him, to try to kick McDaniel in the stomach.  
  
Unfortunately, John didn't know that McDaniel had some Martial Arts training. McDaniel ducked before John's leg hit him, and with a sweep, he knocked John to the ground. Grant saw John fall and got up to try to punch McDaniel, but he saw her coming out of the corner of his eye. He got up and with a jumping backspin kick to her face he knocked her out and she crumpled to the floor with a loud thud.  
  
As soon as McDaniel landed, John spun him around and punched him in the stomach. John then tried to hit him in the face with a pantak jab, but McDaniel was faster and blocked it. McDaniel then elbowed John in the face, then his stomach, and then gave him a tornado kick that threw John's equilibrium off. McDaniel then wrapped his right arm around John's chest, picked him up, and threw him down to the floor.  
  
Aeryn felt weak because of the blood loss, but, hearing John's loud grunt when he was slammed onto the floor, she reached for the pulse pistol that was lying not too far in front of her. She grabbed the pistol and took a shot at McDaniel, but he saw her and tried to move away before the discharge hit him. Unfortunately for John and Aeryn, the first shot only grazed McDaniel's side as he ran down an adjacent corridor with Aeryn continuing to try to shoot at him until he rounded a corner.  
  
After John got up, he went straight to Aeryn, and knelt by her side. "Gawd Aeryn, are you okay?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, now take this and go after him," she ordered, trying to hide the pain as she handed him her pulse pistol.  
  
"I am not going to leave you here like this."  
  
"I'll be fine. The tourniquet Grant made with her belt stopped the bleeding. Now, go after the bastard while I check on her," she said as she nodded at Grant, who was still lying unconscious on the floor.  
  
John took the pistol from her and locked eyes with her silently, telling her that he would be back. As soon as John jumped up, he picked up the other pulse pistol that was lying on the ground and ran after McDaniel. Aeryn then crawled over to Grant to try to wake her up. She rolled Grant on to her back and slapped her on the cheek.  
  
Grant regained consciousness with a start and saw Aeryn staring at her. "Are you okay?" Aeryn asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Grant replied groggily as she tried to sit up, only to fall back to the floor with a sigh. "Or, at least, I will be."  
  
"Good, because I need you to help me get to Pilot's Den. So get up, and let's go," Aeryn ordered.  
  
With another loud sigh, Grant got up and looked down at Aeryn before offering her hand to her. "This just isn't my day," Grant muttered under her breath as she pulled Aeryn up and acted as a crutch for her.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
As John raced through Moya's many corridors to try to catch up with McDaniel, he thought of what he had heard. McDaniel was given orders to place him in protective custody. So, that meant that his people knew he was still alive, and that there was a possibility that his Dad knew he was alive as well. But knowing the military, John knew that there was no way in hell they had told his dad. With the way things were going, his family and friends on Earth would never know that he was alive, but he couldn't let McDaniel get away with what he did.  
  
This wasn't the first time he had felt the need for revenge. The first time was when a certain Peacekeeper Captain named Larraq, who had been infected with an intellant virus, had stabbed Aeryn. John had had his revenge that time when Moya initiated the first stage of starburst and ignited the cesium fuel leaking from the damaged Marauder.  
  
Sitting in the Apothecary back then, waiting for Aeryn to wake up, John had the chance to reflect upon his actions. He knew that he wasn't the one who had killed Hassan, but he did kill Larraq. He hated himself for killing Larraq; he hated the Universe for causing what had happened to happen and for changing him the way it did; but he also hated what had caused him to do what he did.  
  
The need for revenge had driven him, and he wouldn't have stopped until that need had been satisfied with Larraq's death. When he saw the Marauder explode, a part of him was insanely happy, while another part of him was asking what the hell was the matter with him. Another part of him just didn't care. All of that had frightened him, but unfortunately, he didn't realize any of it until after he had ordered Larraq's death.  
  
He found that none of that mattered to him right now. Right now, he just wanted to kick McDaniel's ass and beat him until he was a bloody mess. He knew that after all this was over, if he survived it, he would feel bad about what he was doing, but he didn't care. The need to avenge what McDaniel had done to Aeryn, the others, and the fact that McDaniel was going to try force him to leave his family, was so great that it was overriding all of his other emotions and his reasoning.  
  
Just as John rounded a corner he caught sight of McDaniel's back running into the Maintenance bay and took a shot to stop him from getting to the shuttle, but missed and hit the wall. That got McDaniel's attention, and he turned around and took cover behind the right side of the entrance and John took cover in one of the grooves lining the right side of the corridor.  
  
McDaniel returned fire with both of his pistols and tried to hit the person he was supposed to be protecting. John then popped out just enough to get a few bursts off with the pistol in his left hand. When McDaniel stopped firing, John moved out some more so he could fire a few bursts with the pistol in his right hand. He then fired both pistols simultaneously as McDaniel tried to move out of sight. When John paused for a microt to adjust his grip on the pistols, McDaniel took advantage of it. He fired at John, and hit the wall a few inches away from John's chest. The blast knocked the wind out of him and he fell to the floor.  
  
McDaniel saw John fall and because of the adrenaline and his military training he took aim to kill him, but he suddenly remembered his orders to protect him and bring him home. So he lowered his pistols, but instead of going back to grab John to take him with him, McDaniel left John in the corridor and walked into the Maintenance Bay. He thought insanely that if the Commander wanted to stay, then let him stay to face the Peacekeepers who were on their way.  
  
As soon as McDaniel was aboard the shuttle, he activated Chiana's comms to close the inner doors and to open the outer doors. As he sat in the pilot's seat preparing for take off, he thought to himself, 'Thank God I'm going home.'  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"Sir, an unidentified craft has launched from the Leviathan, and is on a direct course for the wormhole," Braca said as Scorpious approached him.  
  
"Scan the ship, Lieutenant. Find out if Crichton is aboard," Scorpious said as he peered over Braca's shoulder.  
  
"Yes sir," was Braca's reply as he followed the orders of the Scarran half-breed and after a few microts, he gave his report. "Sir, the DNA of the person onboard the unknown craft does match Crichton's, but radiation from the wormhole is interfering with our sensors, so we cannot be certain."   
"Have you scanned the Leviathan, Lieutenant?"  
  
"Yes sir, and we have found no trace of Crichton's DNA on board, but as I stated before, we cannot be certain of that due to the interference from the wormhole."   
  
"Crichton is aboard that craft. Have the Marauder disable it, and capture it."  
  
"Sir, what of the Leviathan?"  
  
"Let it go, I only want Crichton."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
As John got up, he saw the Moya's inner doors closing, and he knew there wasn't anything that he could do from there, so he got up and made his way back to Command. When he got there, he saw Aeryn in the clamshell waiting for him. "How are you feeling Aeryn?"  
  
"I'm fine. Grant is here helping me, and the Marauder has changed course. It's going after McDaniel," Aeryn said as John went to one of the consoles.  
  
"Aeryn, can you tell me if the Command Carrier is in firing range?" he asked, relieved that Aeryn was okay.  
  
"Yes, it is, but it's going after the shuttle, not us. I have the sequence for starburst keyed in so we can leave whenever we want to," she said not caring if Scorpious got his hands on McDaniel or not. In fact, she thought that McDaniel deserved the Aurora Chair, along with whatever was going to happen to him.  
  
"No, we're not leaving. Position Moya so that we're between the shuttle, the Marauder and the Command Carrier."   
  
"Are you frelling insane John?" she yelled, thinking that he might have hit his head when he had been thrown to the floor.  
  
"Just do it," he said sternly as he looked at Aeryn's image in the clamshell. "Aeryn, trust me," he added softly.  
  
"Moving into position. I hope you know what you're doing."  
  
"Don't worry Aeryn, I know what I'm doing. Just be ready to get us the hell out of here when I give you the word."  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"Sir, the Leviathan is maneuvering so that it is between us and the wormhole," Braca said with a facade of confidence trying to hide his fear.  
  
"They're trying to protect Crichton. Tell the Marauder to stand down, charge all frag cannons, and fire upon the Leviathan," snarled Scorpious in the menacing voice of his Scarran half.  
  
Braca complied as quickly as possible, not wanting to bear the wrath of his superior. As soon as the frag cannons were charged to their maximum capacity, Braca let loose a barrage of energy discharges aimed right at Moya.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"Aeryn, now!" John yelled as soon as the barrage got close enough.  
  
Aeryn did as John told her and quickly initiated starburst. She realized what John had done. Aeryn, along with Grant, watched John's image, and saw him staring at the images on the forward portal with a hauntingly blank face that sent chills down her spine. While still watching John, Aeryn keyed in the final sequence, and sent Moya into starburst.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
John watched the image of the wormhole collapsing around the shuttle, destroying it as the energy discharges from the frag cannons hit the wormhole. As all of this happened in front of his eyes while Moya was going into starburst, John quietly said the word he had said before while watching another ship explode because of him.  
  
"Boom."  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
'After seeing the destruction of the wormhole and the death of Crichton, Scorpious should be seething with anger and ready to deal with whoever was responsible for what happened,' Braca thought. But, Scorpious was his usual calm self.  
  
"Orders, sir?" Braca asked, trying to hide his trepidation.  
  
"Set course for the nearest commerce planet, Lieutenant. We will need to replenish our supplies, and continue our search for the Leviathan."  
  
"Sir, with Crichton dead there is no reason . . ." Braca began, but Scorpious cut him off.  
  
"On the contrary, Lieutenant, Crichton is very much alive. They only wanted us to believe we had killed him. Now carry out my orders," he said calmly and evenly with a small calculating grin on his face. You escaped from me once more Crichton, but we will meet again when you least expect it, Scorpious thought.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"That was starburst?" asked a very shocked Grant as she let go of Pilot and his console.  
  
"Yes, that was," Aeryn replied through gritted teeth from her position on top of Pilot's console trying to stop her leg from bleeding again. After a few microts of adjusting the tourniquet, she turned to look at John's image on Pilot's display, only to find that he wasn't there. "Crichton? John, where are you? Are you okay?" she asked not caring about the pain she still felt from her leg.  
  
After a few microts without an answer, Aeryn became extremely worried, and just when she was about to tell Grant to help her search for John, he answered. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm on my way down to Pilot's den now. How 'bout you, are you okay? And how's Pilot and Natalie?"  
  
But before Aeryn could answer, Rygel started to bitch through the comms again, "WELL YOTZ! Pilot, why didn't you warn us when we into starburst?"  
  
"That's because Pilot is unconscious, Rygel," came Aeryn's grunted replied as Grant climbed over the console, helping Aeryn off of it and acting as a crutch again with Aeryn's arm around her shoulder.  
  
"Look, Fluffy, did you find Zhaan and Chiana or what?" John asked as he ran into Pilot's den and placed a hand on Aeryn's other arm when he reached her. "You okay?"  
  
Aeryn could only nod her head to answer him as Rygel responded. They could practically see the smile on his face as he spoke about Chiana. "Yes, I found them. Chiana is locked in a transport pod, and the hatch has been jammed, so I can't open it. And I found Zhaan locked in a cell on one of the lower tiers, but she's asleep. Hmmph, leave it to her to fall asleep during a crisis. I'm going to get some food."  
  
John, Aeryn, and Grant looked at each other incredulously before they heard Rygel shut off his comms. When he did, all John could do was shake his head moving to Aeryn's side. "So how's Pilot," he asked as he took Aeryn's other arm, and wrapped it around his shoulders.  
  
"He'll be alright. Moya's filtration systems should be able to purge the sedative in a few microts," she answered as the trio walked towards the door and left the Den to go to the Apothecary.  
  
"How 'bout you, Natalie? You okay?"  
  
"I'll be alright. Eventually," she said quietly. John could only nod his head in complete understanding as they walked down the corridor. Now she was stuck on Moya just like he was, and she would probably face some of the same hardships he had when he first got there. At least she didn't have some insane Captain or an obsessed half-breed chasing her. Of course, there was also how the others would feel about her staying onboard. Hopefully they would help her adjust, be more understanding with her, wouldn't put her through some of the same dren that they put him through. Hopefully they would realize, especially D'Argo, that even though she came on board with McDaniel, she wasn't with him and wasn't like him in any way.  
  
With John and Grant on either side of a limping Aeryn they walked into the Apothecary and helped Aeryn onto a table. "Go ahead and take off your pants, Aeryn," John said as he walked over to a workbench and started to scavenge for supplies to use. Aeryn quickly looked up at him, putting aside the memory of what had happened in the Center Chamber, and her daydream about what could have happened if Pilot hadn't interrupted them. John looked at her from his position in front of the workbench and when he saw the expression on her face, he walked back to her and quietly asked her, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Uh, John, this is absolutely not the time for that," she said quietly as she glanced at Grant, then her leg, and finally looking into his eyes with her daydream still etched in her mind.  
  
"What are you talking..." John started, but as soon as he realized what she was talking about his eyes widened in shock and he then turned and bowed his head to hide his embarrassment from Grant who was still leaning against the workbench watching them with a knowing grin growing on her face. "Ah, no, Aeryn, um, I meant take your pants of so I can clean your wound," he said quickly and quietly looking at Aeryn, but still facing away from Grant.  
  
"Oh. Um, yes, of course. So, um, you can clean my wound. Right," she said while defiantly jutting out her chin trying to hide her embarrassment, but John could see it in her eyes. Trying to hide his own embarrassment, John walked back over to the workbench, and found an empty dispenser and a counteragent to the sedative. Before Grant could turn away as John approached her, he saw the grin on her face from watching them. All John could do was sigh and shake his head while he filled the dispenser, which caused Grant to suppress a giggle while she watched him.  
  
"Here, take this and find Zhaan and Chiana, and wake them up. If Pilot hasn't woken up yet, give him some too." John said as he handed her the dispenser, silently thanking Zhaan for teaching him about some of the herbs and medicines they had on board.  
  
"Okay, but where am I going to inject him? His skin is as hard as a rock."  
  
"Try the joints of his arms, they should be soft enough," he said as he turned his head to watch Aeryn who had already taken off her belt and holster, and was now taking off her boots.  
  
"Alright," she sighed as she got up and walked to the door. "When all this is done and over-with I'm taking a nice, long, hot, bath," slowly muttered Grant as she walked out of the Apothecary.  
  
"Oh, she's gonna be disappointed when she finds out all we have are showers," John said, walking up to Aeryn with the UT's equivalent of cotton balls, tape, bandages and disinfectant in one hand and a stool in the other. Aeryn was just starting to remove her pants.   
  
"Not a word about this to the others," she sternly said glaring at him as he put down the supplies on the table next to her, and then put down the stool and sat on it.  
  
"Not a word, Scout's honor," he absently said, trying to pay attention to the task at hand, and not the fact that Aeryn was sitting there in only her vest and black PK underwear. He glanced up at her face and saw that he had confused her yet again with his Scout's honor comment, but at least she wasn't questioning him about it. "This'll probably hurt a little," he said looking into her eyes.  
  
She smiled at his concern, and nodded her consent. He grinned back at her as he poured some of the disinfectant onto the "cotton balls" and distractedly started to wipe away the dried blood. "Sorry 'bout that," he said after she flinched. He continued to clean her wound. He was barely concentrating on his task, not because Aeryn was sitting in front of him without her pants, but because of what had happened a short time ago in the corridor. He wanted to ask her about it, but he didn't know how to approach it.  
  
When he glanced up at her while grabbing some bandages, he knew she could tell he wanted to ask her something. Before she had the chance to ask him about it, he looked back down at her wound and asked her about something else while taping a bandage to her thigh, "So, do you think the others will accept Natalie?"  
  
She knew that was not what he wanted to ask her, but she answered his question anyway thinking that he would ask her when he was ready. "Well, Zhaan, Chiana, and Pilot probably will. Rygel won't care as long as she doesn't eat his share of the food. And D'Argo, it'll be a while before he accepts her, but that's just the way he is."  
  
"I'll also have to show her some of my former hiding places just in case he goes into hyper-rage," he said while wrapping another bandage around her thigh. At any other time he would love to be touching her the way he was, but he still needed to ask her about what she had said.  
  
"Commander Crichton! Officer Sun! Are you there?" They heard Pilot's frightened cry and his image appeared in the clamshell before John had a chance to open his mouth.  
  
"Yes, Pilot, we're here. How are you feeling?" Aeryn inquired as calmly as she could to try to sooth Moya's partner.  
  
"I am well, Officer Sun, but Moya has told me that we have just come out of starburst, and there is blood all over my console."  
  
"That's my blood, Pilot. I was there a few microts ago to initiate starburst so we could escape from Scorpious."  
  
"Your blood?" Pilot asked quietly as he cocked his head. "What happened, Aeryn, are you okay?"  
  
"It was McDaniel. He shot me, but I'm fine now, Pilot, thank you."  
  
"Where is the human?" he asked quietly hoping that McDaniel was nowhere near his den.  
  
"He's gone, Pilot, he's dead. You don't have to worry about him anymore," John said, remembering what he had done. "Also, Natalie might stop by to see if you're awake yet and if she does, I just want you to know that she had nothing to do with what McDaniel did. She's on our side, and could you send a few DRD's to Aeryn's quarters to get a change of clothes for her?"  
  
"At once, Commander. I'm glad to know all is well," was Pilot's slightly relieved response before he signed off and tried to calm Moya as best he could.  
  
When Pilot's image faded, John turned back to Aeryn, looking deeply into her eyes and resting a hand on her right knee. He still wanted to know about what she had said earlier. "Aeryn, about what you said to McDaniel in the corridor, what you asked McDaniel to do. Did you mean it? Did you mean what you said?" he asked quietly pleading with his eyes for an answer.  
  
"McDaniel is dead, there's no threat from the Peacekeepers, and the wormhole is gone so does it really matter?" she replied, looking down trying to avoid his questioning and pleading blue eyes.  
  
"Yes, Aeryn, it does matter. It matters to me," he said lifting her chin to look into her eyes once more. "Please, Aeryn, I need to know. Did you mean what you said?"  
  
She couldn't help but look into his eyes, and when she did she could have sworn that she was looking into the eyes of a lost little boy, so she had to give him an answer. "Yes, I did mean it and I will never leave you, but...," she started, but couldn't finish. She didn't want to hurt him any more than he had been already. She saw that John knew what she wasn't telling him when he looked away from her. She saw that he knew that she would never leave him if he stayed there, but she wouldn't go with him to Earth and that she had been stalling McDaniel for Natalie.  
  
Thankfully, two DRD's came into the Apothecary at that moment with the outfit that Aeryn usually wore when she worked out and brought it over to John. He picked it up, and handed it to Aeryn while standing up thinking about the promise he made to her. The promise the he was never, ever going to leave her. Not for Earth, not for anything.   
  
He put one hand on her neck and started to caress her cheek with his thumb while he kept his other hand on her knee. "Aeryn, I don't plan on going back to Earth, so you don't have to worry about hurting me, and I mean it when I say that I will never leave you," he said quietly as he leaned closer to her and softly kissed her lips. She reached up to lock her arms around his neck and to pull him closer to her. As he deepened the kiss with his right hand still on her neck he started to move his other hand up her thigh, and when he reached the bandages covering her wound she gasped from the pain. He pulled away, but before he could apologize to her, she placed her hand on his lips.  
  
"It's okay, John, but I do need to change."  
  
"I'll be right outside if you need me," he said as he started to move away from her to walk towards the door.  
  
"It's alright, John, you can stay," Aeryn said as he grabbed his hand, and pulled him back with a very wicked grin growing on her face. "After all, with my wound, I'll need help." She then placed a hand on his cheek, and brought his lips to hers to kiss him deeply once more.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
  
THE END?  



End file.
